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As we close out 2016 and look forward to a New Year, I am eagerly anticipating the line-up of 2017 films, especially Disney's Beauty and The Beast!Disney’s upcoming live-action re-telling of
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
is based on the animated classic which refashions the classic characters
and musical numbers from the tale as old as time for a contemporary
audience. The film, which stars Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh
Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Audra McDonald with Ian McKellen and
Emma Thompson, opens in theaters everywhere on March 17th, 2017!If you haven't seen these stills and the official trailer yet, these are a must-see.

And just this week, did you hear this story from Entertainment Tonight about a fan revealing the new Hasbro Belle doll with Emma Watson singing? I just know my girls are going to each want one! I can't wait to see what other toys are going to be released too.

What are your thoughts about the new live-action Beauty and the Beast film?

It's almost New Year's Eve! Here's to 2017 and a fresh start. While you're waiting for those New Year's parties to begin, I've teamed up with some great bloggers to bring you a fun giveaway. I hope you'll enter and Happy New Year!

I’ve got a bundle for you that’s sure to turn naptime into their favorite time. Holly from Southern Mom Loves teamed up with the folks at Brentwood Home for this awesome giveaway, featuring comfy bedroom essentials for your little ones. Not only are they adorable with fun colors and playful patterns, they’re made with healthy, natural materials that are safe for you and your home. Read on to win!

This bundle from Brentwood Home contains two of their most popular kids’ products – the Venice Lounger and the Lilypad pillow. The Lounger has a plush, hugging sensation, so your child feels cradled and secure no matter where they’re hanging out. It’s the perfect place for their “me” time, where they can read, snooze, create, and relax freely. Made with nontoxic polyurethane and gel memory foam, it’s perfectly cozy and kid-safe. For the health-conscious parent who wants the most natural night’s sleep for their child, the Lilypad pillow is the perfect resting place for sleepy heads. It’s filled with a mixture of silky smooth kapok, plus the texture of bouncy, all-natural latex. The Lilypad’s cover is detailed with a delicate plaid pattern for a playful touch. Plus, it’s made using 100% organic cotton, so you and your child can both sleep safe and sound.

One winner will receive a Kids' Space Bundle from Brentwood Home consisting of a Venice Lounger and a LilyPad Pillow! (ARV $190)

Giveaway begins on 12/30/16 at 1:00 am CST and ends on 1/20/17 at 11:59 pm CST. Must be 18 years or older, open to residents of the US only. Once confirmed, the winners will be added to the Southern Mom Loves Winner's List.

I received a copy of Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life on blu-ray for review. All opinions are mine. This post contains affiliate links.

Ah, middle school. It's a difficult age of awkwardness, dealing with a lot of changes with friends, "clicks" and your body (can anyone say hormones?), all while balancing school and the challenges of becoming more independent. It isn't easy and I can't say that I would ever want to go back to that stage in my life again.

This movie is pretty hilarious and may have you guffawing or snorting at times! Rafe is a kid who is acting out and has issues with "rules" and teachers/principals who seem to be more focused on the all important rules and standardized tests than the actual students. (Haven't we all bucked against being told what to do?) He decides he's going to "get back" at the principal and break all of the rules and destroy the principal's precious B.L.A.A.A.R test.

As a former teacher and substitute teacher who has dealt a bit with middle schoolers, I get it. There is a fine balance between enforcing the rules and understanding that sometimes we have to give some grace and understanding so we don't crush our students' spirits. The principal in this movie made me angry and I can't blame Rafe for being angry either.

And honestly, I feel sometimes that teaching to tests merely allows students to learn useless memorization to spit out at one moment, not really longer lasting learning. But tests are there and they do need to be taken as a measurement of learning; again, there needs to be a balance. It's a shame that some teachers and administrators feel the pressure of teaching to the tests because their job depends on good test scores.

Some of the things that happen in the movie are a bit over the top in their humor (there's a test question that mentions the Principal being born without nipples), but your tweens will find pretty funny and you probably can't help but laugh. And I absolutely love Lauren Graham in yet another motherly role (though not quite as wise as Lorelai in Gilmore Girls)!

But there is more than what appears on the surface of this movie. There are some serious moments and topics. I don't want to spoil the surprise for you, but Rafe is dealing with a lot more than just standardized testing and mean administrative staff at school. Once you realize that, you realize there are more reasons behind his actions and you will really feel for him and his family.

This is a PG family-friendly film for your younger tweens and teens especially will identify with. I haven't read the book to know if the movie sticks closely to the book, but seeing this movie definitely made me want to check out the book too.

The New York Times best-selling series by James Patterson breaks
all the rules when Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life arrives on Digital HD
December 20 and Blu-ray (plus Digital HD), DVD, and On Demand January 3 from Lionsgate
and CBS Films.

Rafe has
an epic imagination…and a slight problem with authority. Both collide when
he transfers to a rule-crazy middle school. Drowning in do’s and don’ts, Rafe
and his best friend Leo hatch a plan to expose the principal by breaking every
rule in the school’s Code of Conduct. As the principal strikes back, Rafe’s world,
at home and at school, explodes into hilarious chaos (both real and imagined)
in this laugh-filled family comedy based on James Patterson’s best-selling book
series.

Griffin Gluck ("Rafe") stars in Lionsgate Home Entertainment's MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE.

The Middle
School: The Worst Years of My Life home entertainment release special features
include four behind-the-scenes featurettes, a hilarious gag reel plus four
deleted scenes, including one hilarious animated sequence.

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life is directed by Steve Carr with screenplay
by Chris Bowman & Hubbel Palmer and Kara Holden. Executive produced by
James Patterson and Steve Bowen. Produced by Leopoldo Gout and Bill Robinson.

BLU-RAY/DVD/DIGITAL HD SPECIAL
FEATURES

·“That
Middle School Life” Featurette

·“Middle
School = The Worst / Making Movies = The Best” Featurette

·“The
Wedgie Wheel” Featurette

·“Yolo:
Behind Operation Rafe” Featurette

·Gag
Reel

·Deleted
Scenes

I received a copy of Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life on blu-ray for review. All information provided by Click Communications.

This link up will be posted Monday at 7 PM est. and run all week long!

Happy Holidays!

Here is how to use the Giveaway Link Up1. Post your reviews and/or giveaways, as many as you have, be sure to add the end date (family friendly please)2. Help spread the word about the giveaway link up by grabbing our button, Tweeting or posting on Facebook. (Not mandatory- but it helps get more exposure to your giveaways as well!)3. Take a moment to enter any giveaway that strikes an interest to you!If you would like to follow the hostesses, we will gladly follow you back! Simply leave us a message to do so.

Whew! It's the day after Christmas. How was your holiday? I hope that you had a great one! Are you coping with that after holiday slump?

I have teamed up with some awesome bloggers to bring you a little after holiday fun with a $50 giveaway. Share with your friends!

Stylewe is an online shopping platform that features independent fashion designers. They are committed to providing unique, original and high quality fashion products from their designers.The designers featured are from all over the world and bring new and fresh fashion ideas that are on trend.Stylewe carries all types of fashion from handbags, dresses, sportswear, accessories and more.Some of my favorite designer pieces include this beautiful Two Piece Knitted Crew Neck Mermaid Midi Dress by Elenyun.

I received books from Thunderbay Press for review. This post contains affiliate links.

Ever since my son was introduced to Harry Potter and Star Wars around the age of 6, he was hooked on fantasy and science fiction. As he grew older, I introduced him to Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings, one of my all time favorites. We have watched every Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and nearly every Star Wars movie together (and some Marvel too). And I've loved every minute of sharing these interests with him!

If you have a science fiction and fantasy fan at home, you'll be excited about these new books from Thunderbay Press. They are perfect for last minute gifts for any science fiction/fantasy fan!

Classic Tales of Science Fiction & Fantasyis a gorgeous hard cover collection of ten novels and short stories from some of my favorite authors including Jules Vern, H.G. Wells,Jack London, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The book has lovely gold edged pages and an attached ribbon bookmark to keep your place on these adventures. It reminds me of those old books you find in thrift stores that have that special "old book" smell that a Kindle or e-reader can never replace (book lovers you know what I'm talking about!)While it is heavy like a textbook so you probably won't tote it around, it is great to have at home and on display in your home library.

Marvel fans will enjoy the Marvel: The Amazing 1000 Dot-to-Dot Book. This is not the dot-to-dot you remember as a kid. It is an oversized paperback with a challenging collection of 20 dot-to-dot Marvel puzzles of Spiderman, Wolverine, The Hulk, Iron Man and more. The dots are seriously the most tiny I have ever seen! Although you may need a magnifying glass to assist in finding the numbers (us older visually challenged folks anyway), the challenge of putting the picture together is the fun part. And each page can be easily torn out for display in a frame if you choose.

Last but not least, A Bestiary of Tolkien Coloring is on trend with beasts and monsters from Middle-Earth. While this work is unofficial and not authorized by the Tolkien estate, it is an awesome collection of inspired art work. Coloring can be a relaxing stress reliever, and this coloring book is sophisticated and full of Tolkien awesomeness. You'll find familiar characters like Gollum, Smog, Orcs, and Uruk Hai as well as less familiar characters such as Beornings and Storm Giants.

Any of these titles will make a great gift for the science fiction/fantasy fan in your life this holiday! You can also find more gift ideas at Thunder Bay Press.

Which one is your favorite?

Where to Buy:

Classic Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy, Marvel: The Amazing 1000 Dot-To-Dot Book, and A Bestiary of Tolkien Coloring Book can be found in bookstores like Barnes and Noble and on Amazon.

For more holiday gift ideas, be sure to check out the 2016 Holiday Gift Guide!

I was gifted a product from the Macy's Heart of Haiti line however all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.One of my favorite family traditions is adding a new ornament to our tree each year. I have many that are special to me such as "Our First Christmas Together", "My Favorite Teacher", and "Baby's First Christmas". Some of the most precious ones are ornaments that former students either made or gave to me as well as the ones for my children's birth years. I love the way their eyes light
up as they place their special birth year ornament on the tree and we
talk about the day they were born. I don't have any ornaments from when I was growing up, so I want my girls to have some special keepsakes for them to cherish and continue our family tradition with their own children.

This year, we are adding a special Limited Edition 2016 Year of Peace Rwanda Gold ornament from Macy's Gifts That Give Hope line to our tree. This beautiful hand woven basket was inspired by traditional Rwandan design using centuries old techniques. It has an attached ribbon with the year stamped on it in gold. The top also lifts off, which is unique. (I love this idea from Fadra at All Things Fadra of turning it into a special time capsule that stores some of the year's memories)

It is not just a pretty piece of art to decorate our tree, or even an inspiring message of peace and hope in a world that desperately needs it right now. It is a means of sustainable income for those in need in Rwanda.

When you purchase this ornament as a gift for the holidays at Macy's, you are supporting a sustainable trade-not-aid program where women are able to provide for their families.

I love gifts that give back, and this simple ornament gives you the opportunity to truly make a difference.

If you're not familiar with the crisis in Rwanda, please take a minute to read the background behind the Rwanda Path to Peace program:

In 1994, we in America were totally unaware that a mass slaughter was
taking place in Rwanda, a tiny country in the heart of Africa. In just
three months, nearly a million people – 20% of the nation’s population –
were massacred when tribal hatred between the Hutus and Tutsis turned
into ethnic slaughter. Neighbors killed each other in one of the worst
genocides in human history.

After the violence ended, many Rwandan women found themselves thrust
into the unfamiliar role of being the sole breadwinner for their
families, since their husbands, fathers and sons had been killed. Others
saw their husbands jailed for committing unspeakable atrocities.

Despite this savage history, Rwanda today is a country of both hope
and faith. Even though their physical and psychological wounds were
fresh after the genocide, many women embraced an opportunity to heal.
Weaving baskets became a way forward and a path toward peace. Women from
both sides of the ethnic divide came together, wove baskets, and
created an industry, which today supports thousands of Rwandan women and
their families.

One American woman who vowed to make a difference helped the Rwandan women – social entrepreneur, artist, and activist, Willa Shalit.
In 2005, Shalit (who is also behind the Heart of Haiti initiative)
showed the baskets to executives at Macy’s who committed to sell them
and to go into business with the weavers in Rwanda. Macy’s offered them a
hand up, not a handout.

Rwanda Path to Peace is now the longest-lasting program of its kind,
impacting thousands of women throughout Rwanda, their families and
communities. With their earnings, women can now send their children to
school. They can buy everything from soap to land, malaria nets to
health insurance. The income they earn from their handiwork has helped
rebuild their communities. One of the first things a weaver does when
she sells her first basket is buy soap. The next thing she does is buy
shoes and pay school fees. Many weavers today have seen huge
improvements in their lives.

If you're looking for an ornament as a gift or to add to your own family tradition, the 2016 Year of Peace Rwanda Gold ornament is a wonderful choice that provides hope to others.

This link up will be posted Monday at 7 PM est. and run all week long!

Here is how to use the Giveaway Link Up1. Post your reviews and/or giveaways, as many as you have, be sure to add the end date (family friendly please)2. Help spread the word about the giveaway link up by grabbing our button, Tweeting or posting on Facebook. (Not mandatory- but it helps get more exposure to your giveaways as well!)3. Take a moment to enter any giveaway that strikes an interest to you!If you would like to follow the hostesses, we will gladly follow you back! Simply leave us a message to do so.

I received a Fancy Nancy The Musical CD for review as a US Family Guide Blogger. All opinions are mine.

The countdown to Christmas is on and it's crunch time for holiday shopping! I have a cute last minute stocking stuffer idea for the Fancy Nancy fan in your life: The Fancy Nancy The Musical Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording CD.

Fancy Nancy is known for her fun vocabulary and her love of all things fancy. This Fancy Nancy The Musical CD brings that excitement to life through music with 11 songs.

We have listened to the CD in the car on our way to school and sitting in carpool line. The music is upbeat and the lyrics are pretty catchy. Our favorite is "You'll Always Feel Much Better After Tea" because my two girls ages five and two love to have tea parties! "Anyone Can Be Fancy" is another favorite since they also love to play dress-up and be "fancy."

I wish that we could see the show in person, as it is always more fun to see a show and then sing the familiar songs together afterward. While a live musical recording doesn't keep my little ones' attention as long as their favorite movie CD's, it is fun to mix things up and introduce something different.

Fancy Nancy The Musical is a great stocking stuffer idea for Fancy Nancy fans ages 5 and up.

I received a 3DLightFX Star Wars R2D2 light for review. All opinions are mine.

My daughter loves decorating her room. It is a bit of a mish mash of princesses and Star Wars. But it is totally her and reflects what she loves. When we received the 3DLightFX Star Wars R2-D2 lamp, she was incredibly excited to put it up on the wall right away!

This 3D Deco light is one of the coolest lights I have seen. It is a night light that looks like it crashed through the wall (thanks to the magic of a simple sticker). It is very easy to install; all you need are some AA batteries, a screwdriver, and you are ready to hang it up. Since it is battery operated, you can hang it anywhere in the room!The Star Wars R2-D2 light comes with the cracked wall sticker, lamp, and dry wall screws.

The most difficult part of installation is getting the sticker onto the wall and trying to get the air bubbles out. Ours was folded in the box in such a way that it didn't transfer onto the wall without a little wrinkle/crease. But it was no big deal because R2-D2 went over it and you don't even know that it's there.

Once the sticker is on the wall, it's easy to make the holes for the dry wall screws because they show you right where to put them. R2D2 was up on the wall within a little over five minutes!

The lamp is cool to the touch, which is great in case little hands happen to touch it. And with how cool R2-D2 looks, you can imagine how many times my kids kept touching the lamp!

Important Safety Instructions

• For indoor use only.• Do not use in or near water.• Mount only on a surface that is mechanically sound.• Do not mount near gas or electric heaters, fireplaces, candles, or other sources of heat.

What's great about this night light is that it has a 60 minute timer so it will shut off automatically. It is great for kids who need a light to sleep with at night but it's not too bright to keep her awake.

They have a full range of comic book, super hero, Disney Princess, sports and
car lights for anyone. They are also a perfect addition to a den, family room, man's cave
or office! (My youngest is already asking to have one in her room like her big sister. I think she'd love My Little Pony!)

3DLightFx has a great selection for that hard-to-buy-for or already-has-everything person on your gift list.

This link up will be posted Monday at 7 PM est. and run all week long!

Happy Holidays!

Here is how to use the Giveaway Link Up1. Post your reviews and/or giveaways, as many as you have, be sure to add the end date (family friendly please)2. Help spread the word about the giveaway link up by grabbing our button, Tweeting or posting on Facebook. (Not mandatory- but it helps get more exposure to your giveaways as well!)3. Take a moment to enter any giveaway that strikes an interest to you!If you would like to follow the hostesses, we will gladly follow you back! Simply leave us a message to do so.

I am so excited to share with you that Disney's Moana has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards this morning including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for "How Far I'll Go." The song is written
Lin-Manuel Miranda and performed by Auli’i Cravalho.My family just saw the film this weekend and we absolutely loved it! Auli’i Cravalho is incredibly talented and her voice is just amazing.

"In
our 40-year careers, no film has been such a labor of love or more
satisfying than 'Moana,' about a young girl who saves the world. We’re
so deeply honored that the hard
work of the artists and cast is recognized by the HFPA."

“Gracias.
Merci. Grazie. Danke sehr. Mahalo. Thank you Hollywood Foreign Press
Association for this tremendous honor. Congratulations to my fellow
nominees. Over two years
ago, I was lucky enough to have been given my dream job, writing songs
for a Disney animated film, alongside the amazing Opetaia Foa'i &
Mark Mancina. Today, for Moana to be recognized for what we created is
truly beyond comprehension. ‘How Far I’ll Go’ not
only embodies the spirit of our heroine but the central lesson from the
film—dream big, listen to your gut, don’t give up, never forget where
you came from, and one day you might just save the world."

The MOANA original
motion picture soundtrack, the two-disc deluxe edition and the digital
deluxe edition soundtrack are available wherever music is sold and
streamed. The songs in the movie are wonderful and I'm sure that we'll be buying this soundtrack for my two girls!

If your family hasn't yet seen Moana, I highly recommend you see it while it is in theaters. Besides the beautiful sound track, it has a wonderful story your whole family will enjoy. Don't forget to download these free Moana activity pages for your kids too.

We're in the swing of holiday season! How's your shopping going? Are you tired yet? Well, you will be excited to know that I have teamed up with a great group of bloggers for an amazing giveaway!How does $50 sound?

One winner will receive $50 in Save-A-Lot Gift Cards to help you save on your holiday grocery bill. Holly from Southern Mom Loves created an easy Praline Pecan French Toast & Sausage Breakfast Casserole for those hectic holiday mornings.

Check out her recipe here then enter to win gift cards for groceries at Save-A-Lot below!

One winner will receive $50 in Save-A-Lot Gift Cards!

Good luck!

Giveaway begins on 12/10/16 at 1:00 am CST and ends on 12/31/16 at 11:59 pm CST. Must be 18 years or older, open to US residents only (void where prohibited.) Once winners are confirmed, they will be added to the Winner's List here.

I received Christmas All Over again on DVD from Lionsgate. All opinions are my own.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is sitting with my family and watching Christmas movies. I look forward to binge-watching all kinds of Christmas movies, but especially ones that I can watch with my kids. We recently watched Christmas All Over Again, one of our holiday gift guide picks, which will release to DVD on December 13th.

Sleigh bells will ring year-round when Christmas All Over Againarrives on DVD, On
Demand, and Digital HD on December 13 from Lionsgate. Waking up to Christmas
every morning may sound like a wonderful life, but what happens when there are
no presents to wake up to? Earning the Dove Family Seal of approval, this heartwarming
story brings new meaning to holiday
cheer. Starring Sean Ryan Fox (TV’s “Henry Danger”), Amber Montana (TV’s
“Haunted
Hathaways”),Christy
Carlson Romano (TV’s “Kim Possible”), and
with Joey Lawrence.

It’s Christmas Eve, and teen Eddie (Sean Ryan Fox) hopes a
sweet new pair of Breezy 3000 sneakers will catch the eye of neighbor girl
Cindy (Amber Montana). But the next morning, the tree is empty — and every new
day brings another Christmas without presents. To escape from this loop, Eddie
turns to a mysterious shoe store owner (Joey Lawrence), who helps him
understand that true joy doesn’t come tied up in a bow.

This is a cute film with the Dove Foundation family-friendly seal of approval (rated PG). It reminds me of Groundhog Day, where the main character re-lives the same day over and over again. Only this time it's a snarky teenage boy who only thinks about himself and has to re-live Christmas Day over and over again until he learns his lesson.

Joey Lawrence is one of my favorite actors and I absolutely loved him as the magical shoe store owner! (I don't think I have seen anything I haven't liked Joey Lawrence in) While the plot was pretty predictable, it has some great themes that your kids will learn from (without being too preachy) including thinking about others, family relationships, and what Christmas is truly about (not just about the presents). Your tweens and early teens will enjoy it, and maybe even your older teens will sit down and watch it with you.Christmas All Over Again is fun family movie to get you in the holiday spirit!

Where to Buy:

Christmas All Over Again is available for pre-order on DVD for $15.99 and is currently available to rent on Amazon for $4.99.

For more holiday gift ideas, be sure to check out the 2016 Holiday Gift Guide!

Welcome to my attic!

Thanks for stopping by! I'm a busy former teacher {turned stay at home mom} on the hunt for ways to entertain my 3 kids. I love period dramas, all things Disney, and am passionate about getting kids interested in reading.

I enjoy writing about parenthood, entertainment, travel and local Philadelphia area attractions.

How was your spring break? We have spring fever here, expecting 80 degrees! Thanks for stopping by and checking out all the great g...

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